


Family Reunion

by Idiotgangleader



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Hurt, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-23
Updated: 2017-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-19 11:25:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9438119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idiotgangleader/pseuds/Idiotgangleader
Summary: After several years, Jacob visits Evie and Henry in India and meets their newborn daughter in the process. It's then that the two of them realize that things can never go back to the way they were.





	

“Hey! Whadda you doin’ up there?!”

Jacob smiled and rolled his eyes at the train worker that was yelling at him from a few carts down. Gathering his balance, he stood up and ran across the roofs of several other carts before sliding in skillfully through a window. If Evie had been there, he was sure he would have gotten a scolding. But she wasn’t there, and that was the reason he had been on the damn train for the last several weeks.

It had been just a few years since Evie married Henry and left for India to settle down. It had been…hard to say the least, but he managed. At first, part of him resented both of them. He wanted his sister to be happy sure, but why did she have to be happy so far away? Why did she have to leave completely? They still communicated frequently over letters but it wasn’t the same, not at all. And he wondered if she felt the same way in that manner.

It had been a few months ago when he received a letter from Evie announcing that she was with child. Of course he was happy for her. However, it only emphasized the point that she would most likely never permanently return to England. He had allowed himself the wishful thinking that perhaps the humid climate would provide too much for her and she would cave and come home. But in reality, he always knew that wouldn’t be the case. She was a married woman now. She had her own life to live. He couldn’t stand in her way.

Finally, he saw the train station coming up a ways down the tracks and he let out a sigh of relief. He wondered if they would do him the privilege of meeting him at the train station. Knowing Evie, she definitely would. More out of concern that he would go off on his own and get lost somewhere or cause mischief than actually propriety. When the train came closer, he turned on his Eagle Vision to see if he could spot her. Low and behold, he saw spotted her on a bench against the wall. Suddenly, the train began to come to a stop. Smirking to himself, he headed for the same window he came in through and jumped out. Rolling on to the hard ground beneath. When the train came to a final stop, he made his way over to one of the cart connectors and hopped over; knowing Evie was going to be looking for him coming out of the train doors. Spotting her looking through the crowd of people, he snuck up onto the platform and stealthily got behind her. Waiting for the precise moment before wrapping his arms around her shoulders tightly.

“You take off on me for a year and you’re already letting yourself get rusty? You disappoint me, sweet sister.” He said smugly.

Suddenly he felt himself being launched forward before feeling the harsh impact of his back against the pavement. Looking up, he saw Evie standing over him with a triumphant look on her face.

“And you should know better than to sneak up on me like that, brother dearest.” She smirked before offering up her hand to help him up.

Laughing to himself, he gladly took her hand and got himself up before pulling her into a tight embrace. She hugged him back just as tightly and pressed a firm kiss to his cheek.

“Did you have a nice ride? How are you feeling? Do you need anything?” She asked excitedly as she gripped his arms.

“Evie, I’m fine. At least I am now that I’ve gotten on that godforsaken train.” He grumbled before hugging her tightly again.

She laughed before hugging him back, letting each other linger in each other’s arms for a little while. It had been so long.

After a moment, he pulled back and smiled at her.

“You like quite smaller than I expected.”

Evie rolled her eyes at him before slapping him playfully on the shoulder.

“That’s…because the newest addition has already arrived. Come on! She’s back at the house with Henry, you’ve got to meet her!” she tugged on his arms and pulled him towards the carriage that was waiting a couple dozen yards away.

“Already…?” he asked as he allowed her to pull him along.

She dragged him into the carriage and instructed the driver to the house. Jacob had never been to Evie and Henry’s estate and part of him was a little curious as to what it looked like. Probably was better than living on a train, if anything. The carriage ride was…awkward to say the least. A heavy silence surrounding both of the twins as the carriage bumped along the road. Part of him wanted to ask her if it was all worth it. If leaving him and everything they fought for and built in London was worth whatever she found here, but he refused the urge. Partly because he had spent the last few years teaching himself how to live away from her; partly because he knew it wasn’t right. He was here to give his sister congratulations on her new family, not to cause them grief.

“So…how are the Rooks?” she asked when she finally broke the silence.

He bit his lip and buried to urge to give back a snarky reply of “you would know if you were there” before looking at her with a false friendly smile.

“They’re…well.” he managed to get out.

She nodded slightly and turned to look out the window. Jacob knew she could probably sense the tension between them. She was still his sister after all. But like him, she obviously decided it was best to ignore it. Something the Evie he knew from several years ago would never do. No! He couldn’t think like that. She was still the same Evie, he knew that. It was what was between them that was different, very different. Jacob’s heart sank when he realized that it probably would never be the same again.

Those were the only words that were spoken between them until the carriage pulled up in front of the house. It was large and made of stone, and the elaborate architecture was covered by various vines and plants. It did look quite lovely.

“Nice place.” He uttered out awkwardly as he allowed Evie to lead him in.

“Thank you. It belonged to Henry’s father.” She said simply.

The inside of the mansion was just as elaborate as the outside. With foreign furniture made with rich looking fabrics. It was all so strange to him. After taking in his surroundings, he noticed Henry standing in one of the doorways. His smile even more awkward then the last Jacob remembered it being.

“Ah, Jacob. Good to see you. It’s been too long, my friend.” Henry said gently s he walked over and held out his hand.

Jacob pointedly ignored it and instead opted to slap Greenie on the shoulder in a seemingly playful manner and letting Greenie interpret it however he wanted.

“Agreed. I dare say that old shop of yours keeps gathering dust.” Jacob snickered at Henry, but there was no genuineness in his voice. Something Evie seemed to pick up on as she proceeded to quickly clear her throat.

“Henry, darling why don’t you go get little Cecilia?” She asked him warmly with a loving smile.

“Cecilia?”

Jacob had to smile at the resemblance to their mother’s name. It was just like Evie to do that.

“Yes, after our mother. I thought it was fitting.” She smiled at him she awkwardly placed a hand on his shoulder.

A few minutes later, Henry walked back into the room holding a small baby wrapped what looked like silk. He smiled as he handed her off to Evie who kissed the little one’s forehead. Giving a warm smile, she beckoned Jacob over.

“Don’t you want to meet your niece?”

Cautiously, Jacob walked over to stand beside Evie and looked down at the little squirming infant. She was so small. He almost couldn’t believe this little thing was his niece. And part of him didn’t want to believe it. She had Henry’s complexion and eyes but Jacob swore that she had Evie’s nose.

“Do you want to hold her?” She asked him as she adjusted the little girl in her arms.

Jacob’s eyes widened as he looked cautiously at the baby and then to Evie.

“Uh…well, I…I mean…I don’t…really know…”

Evie smiled and rolled her eyes at him before carefully placing Cecilia in Jacob’s arms. Manually moving his hand to support her head.

Jacob stiffened a little but was soon lost in the wandering eyes of the little one in his arms. She squirmed in his arms and grabbed at his coat as she cooed at him, causing Evie to laugh gently.

“She likes you.”

Jacob smiled at her and then to the baby, but soon that smile was slowly replaced by sadness and regret. Sorrowfully, he gently brushed his thumb over Cecilia’s dark hair before handing her back to Evie. He couldn’t allow himself to get attached. Not when he would be returning to London soon and coming back god knows when.

“She’s…lovely.” he whispered quietly before turning his heel towards the door.

“I should get going.” He said quickly as he walked towards the exit.

Evie quickly handed off Cecilia to Henry before chasing after Jacob, grabbing his arm as soon as they got outside.

“Jacob! Where are you going? We just got back to the house.” She scowled at him.

Jacob avoided her gaze and shook his head. He didn’t want this to be harder than it had to be.

“I have a train to catch. Can’t leave London unsupervised for too long.” He said simply as he bit his lip and tried to keep himself calm.

She stared at him with a look of disbelief and shock.

“Y-You…you can’t leave already?! I haven’t seen you in two years! And you just got here!” she yelled as she grabbed his arm, in which he responded by gently pulling away.

“What’s the matter with you, Jacob?!” she yelled as tears started to build behind her eyes.

This time, all restraint he had left him completely.

“What’s the matter is that if I stay too long I’ll have to repeat the last two years all over again. What’s the matter is that father wasn’t even dead one year before you packed up and left! What’s the matter is that you left me behind to run the entire city that we built together on my own for a man you knew less than father had been dead. The mourning period wasn’t even over for god’s sake! What’s the matter is that we could have been happy; we could have been a family! You and Henry could have lived happily in England and we could have stayed together and build the Brotherhood up! But instead you chose to leave everything we had, everything we built, everything we lost; you choose to leave me behind to deal with everything on my own! And for what? What could you have done here that couldn’t have been done back home!? And if I stay too long, I’ll have to leave my family all over again. Because unlike you, Evie Frye, I don’t do such things so easily. That’s what’s the matter…”

Tears were streaming down Evie’s cheeks as she just stared at him silently.

“Please don’t leave…” she pleaded when he turned her back to her.

When he turned back to look at her, tears were welling in his eyes as well.

“I don’t have a choice, Evie. You made it for me. There’s nothing for me, here.” He whispered before leaning in to place a small kiss to her tearstained cheek.

“Take care of yourself.” He whispered before turning on his heel and throwing down a smoke bomb.

“Jacob!” Evie screamed desperately in a way that broke Jacob’s heart even more.

Closing his eyes, he let several tears fall down his face before leaving his hiding spot under the brush and walking back towards the train station. Things could never go back to the way they were. Both of them knew that.

And now they had to face it.


End file.
